The American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) is the country's only long-term repository and distribution center which functions as a "museum" for living microorganisms, viruses, and cell lines. As a natural repository, reflecting the multicategorical interest of the biomedical research community, the ATCC has organized, preserved, and maintained a one-of-a-kind collection of groups certified, taxonomically related living organisms as Collections. By collecting, certifying, propagating, preserving, and distributing such important biological reference materials as is contained in the Collections, the ATCC is providing invaluable research support services vital to the advancement of biomedical research. If such cultures are not available, or if they are contaminated or not correctly identified, there would be a considerable waste of research time and funds.